The support rate for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s Cabinet fell to a fresh low of 28.3%, a Kyodo News survey showed Sunday, with more than 60% of respondents not satisfied with a tax cut recently announced as part of his economic stimulus package.
The approval rate dropped from 32.3% marked in October, the previous record low, while the disapproval rate rose to a record high of 56.7%, according to the three-day nationwide telephone survey.
In an attempt to turn around the flagging approval rating, Kishida, who became prime minister in October 2021, is banking on his latest stimulus package to help mitigate the impact of rising inflation on households.
But the survey showed 62.5% saying they do not support a key feature of the package, a one-off tax cut of ¥40,000 per person. The stimulus also includes payouts to low-income households exempt from paying income and residential taxes.
The poll also underscored the lack of public interest in the 2025 World Expo to be held in Osaka, with 68.6% saying it is not necessary, against 28.3% who felt it is.
The result followed the government’s announcement on Thursday that it has approved the projected ¥235 billion cost for constructing the venue for the expo, nearly double its organizer’s initial estimate.